The 65th Annual Hunger Games: Finnick's story
by TheHungerFreak
Summary: This story is about Finnick Odair's games, and is an original story, please rate honestly, thank you!:)
1. Chapter 1

"Ma, I'm home!" only the silence of the empty house answers me. Reaping day, of course, the market will most likely have offers on so I bet she'll be out bargain hunting.

My bag plummets onto the table, and some fish from inside it ends up on the stove. I figure I might as well skin them, so I begin doing so. My ability with a knife is decent, but my ability with a trident is so much more; so if I did get drawn for the games, highly unlikely, I could definitely do some damage.

The fish, now skinned and de-boned, a meagre task, sits in the pan, ready to be fried. A few chopped herbs later, the deafening silence is over, the person most important to me is home.

"Finnick?"

"Hi Ma, what did you get!?" I question her, and help her with the bags. Upon seeing me, her face breaks into a frown.

"Why aren't you ready for the reaping, hurry up and get changed, now!"

"But, what about the bags?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine, now hurry up!"

"Yes Ma…" I sulk back to my room, and pick out a light blue shirt, long black trousers, and a pair of black lace shoes. I comb back my hair, and brush my teeth, if I do get reaped, I might as well look good.

We stand in the town square, me and the rest of the fourteen year old boys. We seem to be imprisoned in a sort of 'pen'. My name is only in 3 times, slim chance I know but still, breath, be calm; stare straight ahead, yet some others have theirs in there 18 times, possibly more, because they had to sign up for tesserae.

You probably don't know what I'm on about, here is the short version of it: My name is in a massive glass bowl 3 times, if my name gets drawn out, I have to go to the Capitol and fight in the Hunger Games for their 'personal' entertainment. The Hunger games is where 24 young people (aged 12 – 18 years old); 1 boy, and 1 girl from each of the 12 districts that surround the Capitol get put in an arena to fight to the death until there is one lone victor. Let's all thank Snow's twisted mind for that.

Being in district 4, the fishing district, there are a lot of names in the glass bowl, so the chances are low I will get drawn, and if I do, a 'career' will most likely volunteer to take my place, as it's something they've trained for all their life.

"Let's start with the girls" shrieks Sondaika, the woman with a shrill voice who draws the names of the people at the reaping. "Dian Janst-"She is cut off by an 18 year old girl – a career. "I offer myself as tribute!" course we didn't see that one coming. A path is formed in front of a dark skinned, tall girl. Her hair is black and parted on her left, and it drops just past her shoulders. She stands strong in a navy blue dress, it matches her eyes…

She brushes past everyone with her confidence highly visible, not afraid of what lies ahead, it has been nailed into her over the past 11 years of her life. Her eyes lock with mine, and I realise how terrifying they are!

When upon the stage, we discover that her name is Frostine Galloway, and she is ready to kill and win, nothing special for a career. Sondaika issues her to one side of the stage, and she continues the Reaping.

"And now, for the boys!" a giggle escapes her, how I wish it didn't because my ears are very sore now. Strutting is how you could describe her movement over to the glass bowl, in which my name sits.

When she arrives to her destination, which seems like an enormous challenge in those 'shoes', she glances into the glass bowl, and her finger traces the rim teasing us, filling each and every one of us with a knot of fear and anxiety before, finally it strolls inside; enjoying the process.

Her hand remains inside for a full minute, before she picks one she obviously likes, as when she clasps it a smile creeps over her face. Everyone else has a frown though, and we are all worried.

"The male tribute for district four: Finnick Odair!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews and follows so far guys, I really appreciate it, I have some amazing ideas for the games themselves. Also, there is swearing in this, don't want you to get upset if you don't like swearing, and I will try to update regularly. As always, please review honestly. Thank you.**

Still, that's all I was, still. I stood in silence, stunned silence. What were the odds that I was going to be drawn? Who will take my place? What if a career doesn't take my place?! Stop panicking, I think to myself, and surprisingly it works.

Now, I begin to make my way to the stage, very reluctantly however. Upon arriving, Sondaika takes my age, and asks for volunteers. This is the first year since the 13th games that there aren't any, why my year?

Peacekeepers restrain me, and I'm pulled back into the justice building, the last thing I see is my Ma's tears, and I break down…

"You have 3 minutes." The person who I expected least to be there, was, it was him: Alyx Buxton. He was a past victor, from the 51st games. A strange aura emanates from him, it's a friendly one though, and I feel as though I can be whoever I want around him, and currently it's a scared, broken boy.

Despite all this, I feel as though he is a complete stranger, which he shouldn't be for long, as he will be my mentor in the games, along with Mags, I just hope he will be useful…

"You're the first person I've ever mentored that isn't a career, and I can understand your position, as I wasn't a career either, I was only 16, and like you, no-one else volunteered to take my position, yet I won, so please, just don't give up yet, not until it's over."

"Th-thank y-you…"

"Don't worry, I'll see you on the train in an hour, be ready." As he exits the room, I feel alone again, but only for a moment, my Mother is there.

"I love you, so, so much, don't ever forget that, ever!"

"I won't, I promise you that I will stay with you wherever you are, and wherever I am"

We remain embraced and silent for the rest of the time, and she has to be pulled off of me by at least 3 Peacekeepers, and the last of her I see is her in physical and emotional pain.

The silence in the room spreads, and soon, it's too much to handle. I end up kicking a wooden chip from the corner of the bedpost to keep myself entertained.

My mother is probably a broken women, after my dad left, I was all she had; and a 14 year old boy won't return, we all know it. Nothing is all she will be left with, nothing. Why do I feel so helpless? What if I try and help Frostine win the games, that way it would mean more food for my mother; but that option doesn't exactly appeal to me for some reason.

A thought comes to me, what actually happened to my dad? In the games, I could have one last wish, I could ask for a gift from a sponsor telling me, not likely. An alternative is that I could find out before I go into the arena. Just, whatever happens, I want to be able to die with that knowledge.

Trains, I never knew they were so, so, beautiful, there the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, ever. I know I may seem a bit sad, and as if I'm droning on, but if you haven't seen one, put it on your bucket list.

Despite the beauty of the train, the ride itself isn't to fun, especially with Frostine giving me daggers, and an unaccepting frown; probably because I'm not a career. Our Mentors are with us, waiting for conversation, so I decide to spark one up: "Who are we up against then? You know, the other tributes?"

At hearing my voice, Alyx's head shoots up: "Well, I guess we better see then, shouldn't we."

We move into another carriage which contains a huge television, probably the size of 9 of mine at home, and I begin to realise the type of lifestyle that I'm going to have to endure.

Respectively, we start with District 1, a career district, an overrated district, a district that contains multiple stuck up snobs, who are too confident for their own good; but that's my personal opinion. We find out that the female tribute is called Inala Greenlaw, a dark haired 18 year old, who doubts the fact she will lose. The male tribute is Craw Whishart, a red headed, stocky 17 year old.

District 2 next, the kids here are as bad as the ones in 1, possibly worse. Male tribute: Ziken Hartland (Who would name their child Ziken, I'm not even sure someone from The Capitol would name their child that!), he seems weak for a career, I don't know if it's the glasses or not. Female: Pedrix Stark, short haired 18 year old, she seems like a threat, I might avoid her.

Not many other people stood out apart from a few others: a girl named Jules from 6, a boy from 10 called Tobias, and another boy from 12 called Helix. I don't know if I want to avoid making any alliances, or try and make as many as I can.

"Bunch of weaklings!" Frostine has actually spoke up, not something I expected to see. Before I know it she's left the carriage and Mags has run after her, leaving me alone with Alyx.

"Anyone you want for an ally?"

"Helix, I know I've only seen him for a minute, but I can tell he is going to be a threat, so the sooner I can be on his good side, the better!" How did that come out of me? I haven't even arrived at the Capitol, and I'm choosing who I want to kill, what's come over me?

"Wow! You are serious about this." He seems surprised, which I find quite offensive.

"What do you expect, this is a life or death situation!" I snap back, shocking us both.

"I do know that, I have been in the arena before, I won my games, and if you remember, I wasn't a career either, I know what you're going through."

His words hang in the air, and I let them. Stress, I don't need it, therefore I won't have it; if you fuck with me, I will fuck you over twice as hard. In a storm of annoyance, I charge out of the room. People try to hold me, stop me; but I push them aside, there not needed in my life right now.

This is the first time I've been into my room, and it's better than the farewell room in the Justice Building by far. I sit on my bed, and see that I'm going to have a good night sleep here; it's one of the best materials that I am yet to encounter during my death sentence.

Silence, it's something I'm becoming used to; not much has actually happened but silence since I got here, apart from multiple arguments.

As I get into bed, my heart jumps; I thought it was Alyx, but its only Mags, she shouldn't really be here, but I don't mind, she comforts me, so I let her be. Not much happens, well, nothing does really, but with her being there, a lot happens in my head. Before I know it, I'm asleep.


End file.
